I’m from a small island in New York nestled between the forks of Long Island, Shelter Island. By small, I mean I went from kindergarten to twelfth grade with anywhere between 20 to 30 classmates. After graduating high school, I moved out west and enrolled at Arizona State University. The first day of class at a large university was a bit shocking. It took a moment, but I swallowed back the butterflies and pushed forward. It was a great lessen to learn as I’ve come to understand life’s greatest rewards start with fears that hold you back. I lived in the desert for 6 hot years, with the east calling me back for the last years. Ultimately, I moved back to New York in 2011 for law school.
Deep down, I’ve always been trying to find a way to mix my passion with profession. I became an attorney at the end of 2014 and then litigated for 5 years. Throughout that time, I was putting my focus toward something I didn’t want and it was frustrating. Those butterflies were back and holding me up. But, toward the end of 2016, I began looking at various fields that I had independent interest in. I wanted to mix that independent interest with the legal world.
I started homebrewing in 2018 (thanks to a 5-gallon starter kit Christmas present from my wife). It didn’t take long to realize I should mix law with a growing love and understanding for the alcohol industry. Through determination and some luck, I’m happy to say I’m now a liquor lawyer. As you can tell from the website, I’m also a homebrewer and blogger (A Craft Brewery Journey and The Business of Alcohol). Since getting into the industry, I’ve met so many passionate, driven, and intelligent people, read countless “how to” brew books and Supreme Court cases, and spent early mornings, late nights, and weekends making my vision a reality. The more I learn, the more there’s to learn, and I’m loving it. I’m still working on it and look forward to a lifetime.